(65 ILCS 5/8-3-1) (from Ch. 24, par. 8-3-1)

Sec. 8-3-1. The corporate authorities may levy and collect taxes for corporate purposes. They shall do this in the following manner:

On or before the last Tuesday in December in each year, the corporate authorities shall ascertain the total amount of appropriations legally made or budgeted for and any amount deemed necessary to defray additional expenses and liabilities for all corporate purposes to be provided for by the tax levy of that year. Then, by an ordinance specifying in detail in the manner authorized for the annual appropriation ordinance or budget of the municipality, the purposes for which the appropriations, budgeting or such additional amounts deemed necessary have been made and the amount assignable for each purpose respectively, the corporate authorities shall levy upon all property subject to taxation within the municipality as that property is assessed and equalized for state and county purposes for the current year.

A certified copy of this ordinance shall be filed with the county clerk of the proper county. He shall ascertain the rate per cent which, upon the value of all property subject to taxation within the municipality, as that property is assessed or equalized by the Department of Revenue, will produce a net amount of not less than the total amount so directed to be levied. The county clerk shall extend this tax in a separate column upon the books of the collector of state and county taxes within the municipality.

However, in ascertaining the rate per cent in municipalities having a population of 500,000 or more, the county clerk shall not add to the amount of the tax so levied for any purpose any amount to cover the loss and cost of collecting the tax, except in the case of amounts levied for the payment of bonded indebtedness, or interest thereon, and in the case of amounts levied for the purposes of pension funds.

Where the corporate limits of a municipality lie partly in 2 or more counties, the corporate authorities shall ascertain the total amount of all taxable property lying within the corporate limits of that municipality in each county, as the property is assessed or equalized by the Department of Revenue for the current year, and shall certify the amount of taxable property in each county within that municipality under the seal of the municipality, to the county clerk of the county where the seat of government of the municipality is situated. That county clerk shall ascertain the rate per cent which, upon the total valuation of all property subject to taxation within that municipality, ascertained as provided in this Section, will produce a net amount not less than the total amount directed to be levied. As soon as that rate per cent is ascertained, that clerk shall certify the rate per cent under his signature and seal of office to the county clerk of each other county wherein a portion of that municipality is situated. A county clerk to whom a rate per cent is certified shall extend the tax in a separate column upon the books of the collector of state and county taxes for his county against all property in his county within the limits of that municipality.

But in municipalities with 500,000 or more inhabitants, the aggregate amount of taxes so levied exclusive of the amount levied for the payment of bonded indebtedness, or interest thereon, and exclusive of taxes levied for the payment of judgments, for which a special tax is authorized by law, and exclusive of the amounts levied for the purposes of pension funds, working cash fund, public library, the propagation and preservation of community trees, and exclusive of taxes levied pursuant to Section 19 of the Illinois Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Act of 1975 and for the general assistance for needy persons lawfully resident therein, shall not exceed the estimated amount of taxes to be levied for each year for the purposes specified in Sections 8-2-2 through 8-2-5 and set forth in its annual appropriation ordinance and in any supplemental appropriation ordinance authorized by law for that year.

In municipalities with less than 500,000 inhabitants, the aggregate amount of taxes so levied for any one year, exclusive of the amount levied for the payment of bonded indebtedness, or interest thereon, and exclusive of taxes levied pursuant to Section 13 of the Illinois Civil Defense Act of 1951 and exclusive of taxes authorized by this Code or other Acts which by their terms provide that those taxes shall be in addition to taxes for general purposes authorized under this Section, shall not exceed the rate of .25%, or the rate limit in effect on July 1, 1967, whichever is greater, and on a permanent basis, upon the aggregate valuation of all property within the municipality subject to taxation therein, as the property is equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue for the current year. However, if the maximum rate of such municipality for general corporate purposes is less than .20% on July 1, 1967, the corporate authorities may, without referendum, increase such maximum rate not to exceed .25%; but such maximum rate shall not be raised by more than 1/2 of such increase in any one year.

However, if the corporate authorities of a municipality with less than 500,000 inhabitants desire to levy in any one year more than .25%, or the rate limit in effect on July 1, 1967, whichever is greater, and on a permanent basis, but not more than .4375% for general corporate purposes, exclusive of the amount levied for the payment of bonded indebtedness, or interest thereon, and exclusive of taxes authorized by this Code or other Acts which by their terms provide that those taxes shall be in addition to taxes for general purposes authorized under this Section the corporate authorities, by ordinance, stating the per cent so desired, may order a proposition for the additional amount to be submitted to the electors of that municipality at any election. The clerk shall certify the proposition to the proper election authority who shall submit the question to the electors at such election. If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition are in favor of the proposition, the corporate authorities of that municipality may levy annually for general corporate purposes, exclusive of the amount levied for the payment of bonded indebtedness, or interest thereon, and exclusive of taxes authorized by this Code or other Acts which by their terms provide that those taxes are in addition to taxes for general purposes authorized under this Section a tax in excess of .25%, or the rate in effect on July 1, 1967, whichever is greater, and on a permanent basis, but not exceeding the per cent mentioned in the proposition.

Any municipality voting after August 1, 1969, to increase its rate limitation for general corporate purposes under this Section shall establish such increased rate limitation on an ongoing basis unless otherwise changed by referendum.

In municipalities that are not home rule units, any funds on hand at the end of the fiscal year, which funds are not pledged for or allocated to a particular purpose, may by action of the corporate authorities be transferred to the capital improvement fund and accumulated therein, but the total amount accumulated in such fund may not exceed 3% of the aggregate assessed valuation of all taxable property in the municipality.

(Source: P.A. 102-587, eff. 1-1-22.)